This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from September 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. You and your students can create and share engaging interactive reports, presentations, assignments, projects and more with Sway, a free app from Microsoft Office. This session will introduce Sway as attendees transform an outline to an engaging, modern presentation using Sway, Microsoft's new digital storytelling and presentation app. Create presentations that focus on content rather than bells and whistles. Get up and running within a class period. Sway is accessible on any device, making it a perfect addition to your 1:1 initiative toolbox. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: (1) Learn basic use of the Microsoft Sway tool; (2) Explore three different ways to use Microsoft Sway in the classroom; and (3) Plan for the use of Microsoft Sway in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from August 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Create powerful, engaging, and interactive presentations using the latest Microsoft Office add-in for PowerPoint -- Office Mix. Learn to use Office Mix for recording video, screen capturing, adding annotations, making interactive questions and assessments, sharing online and data analytics. You can easily Flip your classroom with Mix while tracking students' understanding. You must attend this session on a laptop or desktop computer that has a full version of Microsoft PowerPoint installed. Additionally, participants MUST download and install the free Office Mix add-in. You will not be able to CREATE Office Mix learning objects on an Android or Apple tablet or via Office 365. You can access and use them on those devices but not create them. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: (1) Learn the basic functions of Microsoft Mix; (2) Explore three different ways to use Microsoft Mix in the classroom; and (3) Plan for the use of Microsoft Mix in the classroom. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at an INTERMEDIATE technology level.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from August 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Microsoft's Office Online is a completely free, web-based version of Microsoft Office. This online office suite is clearly competing with Google Docs, but it's also a potential replacement for the desktop version of Office. In this workshop, we'll discuss the similarities and differences between Office Online, the desktop version of Microsoft Office and Google Docs. Participants will understand how to use OneDrive for file sharing; OneNote for curating resources and creating portfolios; Excel Survey for data collection, registrations, surveys, and assessment; and Outlook.com for email and calendar. We will also share time-saving ways to make Outlook and Calendar work for you; as well as strategies for staying organized, easily sharing files, and using these tools with your students. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: (1) Understand the differences between features available in the desktop version of Microsoft Office, Office Online, and Google Docs; (2) Explore classroom applications for Excel Survey and OneNote; and (3) Plan for the use of Office Online in the classroom. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from August 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. You and your students can create and share engaging interactive reports, presentations, assignments, projects and more with Sway, a free app from Microsoft Office. This session will introduce Sway as attendees transform an outline to an engaging, modern presentation using Sway, Microsoft's new digital storytelling and presentation app. Create presentations that focus on content rather than bells and whistles. Get up and running within a class period. Sway is accessible on any device, making it a perfect addition to your 1:1 initiative toolbox. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: (1) Learn basic use of the Microsoft Sway tool; (2) Explore three different ways to use Microsoft Sway in the classroom; and (3) Plan for the use of Microsoft Sway in the classroom. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from August 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Google forms can support classroom instruction AND improve teacher productivity. You can use Google Forms to create surveys and quizzes; collect research data, and plan events. Unlike other "freemium" web-based form tools, Google Forms is completely free and allows for unlimited questions and responses, as well as logic branching. Once completed and shared, recipients can easily fill out and submit their responses. A Google form is automatically connected to a spreadsheet with the same title. When you send or share a form, recipients' responses will automatically be collected in that spreadsheet. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: (1) Explore the features of Google Forms; (2) Discover a variety of uses for Google Forms; and (3) Create a basic Google Form. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from August 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Explore some of the many tools that Google has to offer. Learn more about using Gmail in the classroom, Google Calendar, Google Drive (including templates and docs/forms), and Google Keep! Other tools including Photos, Google Plus, and Flubaroo will also be explored. A question/answer period will also be available. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: (1) Explore Google Templates, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Keep, and Google Plus and learn a few teaching features; (2) Evaluate selected tools available for use in your curriculum; (3) Explore topics and lesson ideas that could be enhanced using Google Tools; (4) Learn how to leverage available tools in Gmail for increased productivity; and (5) Find solutions to individual questions or practical problems. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at an INTERMEDIATE technology level.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from July 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. No time to comb through Chrome's content? Learn about Google Chrome's accessibility features and extensions to best meet you and your students' needs. Google Chrome is the "Magician's Hat" of content built-in the browser. Google Chrome was named because the developer liked fast, and shiny cars. However, the design philosophy was content and not chrome. Chrome has features that are designed for efficiency and ease of use. Chrome is the luxury browser of the web, and it's dashboard rivals that of a luxury car. Explore the Chrome Web Store to learn features and extensions to support and enrich your student's online experience. As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: 1. Learn how to locate accessibility features and extensions; 2. Learn how to integrate extensions to best meet your students' needs; 3. Learn extensions and features to support your Google Chrome experience; and 4. Collect extensions to use in your classroom. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from July 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Go to the EDGE with TeachersFirst! What is the Edge? Cutting edge tools used to create: list-makers, timelines, mind maps, and more. Learn about the various Edge categories and what they mean. Have time to explore the Edge on your own. Find inspiration and timesaving tools in this fast-paced session! As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: Explore the edge categories and tools available at TeachersFirst. Find more ways to save time using TeachersFirst for planning lessons. Have free exploration time to find materials relevant to his/her classroom needs. Prepare to plan and implement a student-centered, curriculum-related use of the resource(s) of choice as part of an upcoming teaching unit. Plan how to use one of the edge tools to organize, communicate, or create in your classroom. Remember, it is OK2Ask'® questions at any time! This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from June 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Excite and engage students to jump into learning with tech tools to support direct instruction for vocabulary. Increase the vocabulary in all subjects areas using direct instruction based on Marzano strategies to increase success in school and on achievement tests. Increased vocabulary deepens background knowledge providing a better schemata for different learning experiences. Using the six step approach, discover tech tools to bring the vocabulary from short term memory into long term memory. Discover how the tech tools chosen, can be used to increase student collaboration and provide data for formative assessments. Participants will: 1. Review Marzano's strategies for vocabulary instruction; 2. Explore tools for vocabulary instruction; 3. Learn strategies for student collaboration during vocabulary instruction; and 4. Understand how to create formative assessments for vocabulary using tech tools This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

Turn your typing into cool rhythmic beats with TypeDrummer. Listen to your creation as you continue typing into the box. For a change of pace, switch from the drumbeat to the song "Fool" by Moon Bounce. Click on "load new samples" only. Warning: Clicking on "Fool" will take you out of the TypeDrummer tool. After finishing your creation, use the link to share with others at the URL created for you.

In the Classroom

Catch your students' attention and type a short message to students on TypeDrummer to read as they enter the class. Create and share TypeDrummer messages on your class web page - suggestions might be reminders of due dates of upcoming tests, tips on completing homework assignments, or the daily school lunch menu. Allow students to create a TypeDrummer message as part of a presentation including the title and a summary of the presentation content. Create a list of instructions to share with students. Use TypeDrummer as part of your Back to School activities, have each student type their name and a sentence about themselves. Spice up lessons and have students type their answers using TypeDrummer.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from May 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Transform your classroom activities by learning how to use ThingLink. Engage students and deepen content area knowledge by creating annotated images. Text, audio, and video bring additional context to images for your students. Brainstorm with others how you and your students can use ThingLink in your classroom. Learn a little about the principles of design. We will supply you with an image to upload and the annotations so you can learn to use this fantastic tool. Participants will: 1. Learn how to annotate an image using ThingLink: text, audio, and video; 2. Determine ways in which Thinglink can be used to support instruction; and 3. Create an activity with ThingLink that can be used in class. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from May 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Discover hidden treasures in Google apps and tools to elevate instruction and explore creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking (4C's) skills in refreshing ways for both students and teachers. Use Google beyond powerful searching to help build 21st-century skills. Through the use of simple tools, students develop their 4C's skills. In this session, you will find many examples of using Google tools and will have an opportunity to play with some of these. Come prepared with an already created Google account and an installed Chrome browser and uncover treasures such as Google Cultural Institute, Google Trends, Google Earth Engine, Google Public Data Explorer, Maps/Tour Builder, Ngram Viewer, Google Groups/Hangouts, Google Keep, Google Draw, and more. Participants will: 1. Explore ways to incorporate the 4C's into instruction; 2. Identify Google tools that can be used to develop the 4C's; 3. Explore two or more web-based tools and resources to support the 4C's; and 4. Plan a project that uses a Google tool or app for creativity, communication, collaboration, or critical thinking. This session is appropriate for teachers at the intermediate technology comfort level.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from April 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Untangle the web of differentiation with the help of Tomlinson's model. Explore the pedagogy behind differentiation and find tools to enable you to meet the needs of your students. Learn the definition behind differentiation, find various combinations to differentiate by interest, readiness, and more. Explore technology tools to use to easily differentiate in various content areas. Begin to develop a plan that fits your individual needs.Participants will: 1. Understand the meaning of differentiation; 2. Explore Tomlinson's model of differentiation; 3. Find tools to differentiate in content areas; and 4. Create a plan for differentiation in your classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from April 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Explore three online tools for collaboration with peers and students. Discover the differences between collaboration and group work. Discuss and learn ways to foster collaboration in the classroom. Share with peers the positives of collaboration and strategies for encouraging participants when faced with difficulties. Begin to develop a collaborative activity for your individual needs. Participants will: 1. Understand the difference between collaboration and group work; 2. Compare/Contrast three online tools for collaboration; 3. Explore three online tools for collaboration; and 4. Participate in a collaborative activity. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from April 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Learn to use VoiceThread in your classroom. Need to have students create a project to demonstrate comprehension? Want to allow your class to continue an important conversation after class is dismissed for the day? Can you make formative assessment less foreboding? You can use VoiceThread for all of this and more. Learn to easily add a layer of interaction in your class that increases student engagement. Join us for this session and your students will thank you! Please Note: It would be best to attend this session on a computer. iPad users attending this session should download the VoiceThread app prior to the session. Participants will: 1. Learn basic use of the VoiceThread tool; 2. Explore three different ways to use VoiceThreads in the classroom; and 3. Plan for the use of VoiceThread in the classroom This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

Discover, create, and share digital resources from the Smithsonian Museum, the National Zoo, and nine major research centers with this visually appealing site. Use the search feature to find digital resources including photos, recordings, videos, and text. Sign up to create your own collections, including those found on the site and your own resources. Add annotations and develop quizzes. Easily share your creations or curated collections using social networking links provided. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a must-add to your list of classroom bookmarks! Search for collections and information throughout the year on all topics. Add a link to classroom computers for the entire site or specific collections. Be sure to take advantage of the many features of this site to create customized collections, then have students add additional resources. Have students create quizzes for review of topics. Challenge students to create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here.

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional development session from March 2016, opens in Adobe Connect. Once upon a time, teachers wanted to make content meaningful and relevant to their students' lives...Come to this TeachersFirst Ok2Ask webinar and see digital storytelling as a formative, summative, and effective way to learn content. Learn how to successfully implement a digital storytelling project in your science, social studies, health, or other content area classes. Choose one of the programs we will feature, and follow a few steps to successful implementation. Make a sample project showing your students what you would like them to achieve. After attending, you will be armed with a sample and resources to to start tomorrow... And all of the teachers who followed the path to digital storytelling experienced success and they and their students lived happily ever after. This session is appropriate for teachers at Intermediate to Advanced technology levels.

As a result of this session and through individual follow-up, teachers will: Discover ways to integrate digital storytelling into any content area; Understand steps for successful implementation of a digital storytelling project; Review resources for healthy digital citizenship; Explore three web based tools and resources to support digital storytelling; and Plan a project that integrates digital storytelling into science, social studies, or math curriculum.

In the Classroom

Inspire your lessons with new ways to incorporate digital storytelling in your classroom. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

Learn all about the orchestra with this interactive using baseball metaphors. Meet the players by choosing an era from baroque through modern times. Return to Home Plate to navigate throughout activities as you learn about instruments, parts of a composition, and technology. Play Ball assesses your knowledge upon completing activities to find out if you have hit it out of the park!

In the Classroom

Share this interactive on a projector or interactive whiteboard as you learn about orchestras together. Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. Share with your school's music teacher as an interesting activity for music class. This site would be excellent for use before a field trip or a school assembly featuring an orchestra! Have students create an annotated image of musical instruments including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here.

Noteflight is an online music creating and sharing tool. Create your own music or view and listen to the works of other artists. After creating your account, click to begin a New Score. Use the tools in the program to add notes, notation, and more to your composition. Be sure to check out the User Guide, Tutorial, and Reference Videos for full instructions on available features. Registration is not required to browse and listen to compositions shared by other site users. Noteflight works on all browsers and Safari Mobile iOS 6.1 If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Share students' musical creations online! Demonstrate the art of composition while using Noteflight on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Explore different musical instruments and how they affect the tone and mood of the piece. During a multimedia presentation, have students create their own music. In Destination Imagination or Odyssey of the Mind, use your scores to showcase talent. In honoring multiple intelligences, highlight the students' with musical talent. While reading historical fiction novels, have students compose a song typical of that period with the commonly used instruments and style. Offer in your after school clubs for music, guitar, or band.

Pick up the guitar and go to your free online video lessons. Begin your free study by discovering how to choose the best guitar for you. Learn the correct body posture and fingering while discovering the optimal practice schedule. Progress into beginners' lessons on chords, music theory, and rhythm. Challenge yourself in the intermediate course with scales, chords, and many different musical patterns. Move forward to blues, jazz, folk, rock and metal, and songwriting modules. Along the way, products are available for purchase. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view them at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Spark students' interest in guitar playing by encouraging free online guitar lessons. Offer as a challenge to gifted students, and have them teach other students. Highlight students multiple intelligences and let them shine! Make up a tune to go along with a multimedia presentation, such as digital storytelling, Prezi, reviewed here, or videos, and then you have no worries with copyright. Tune up after school clubs with a little music. Make your music class come alive with guitars and free lessons.